Manpreet brings erstwhile PPP trio into election fray
Saturday, 24/12/2016
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NAMES OF CHAUDHARY DARSHAN LAL AND HARVINDER LADDI APPEARED IN CONGRESS’ SECOND LIST WHILE BHATTI’S NAME HAD APPEARED IN THE PARTY’S FIRST LIST.
BATHINDA: The three leaders, who had contested as the erstwhile People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) candidates under Manpreet Singh Badal in the 2012 assembly polls, would again be together as a hope for the Congress in the ensuing state assembly elections.
Manpreet Badal has succeeded in getting Congress tickets for Harvinder Singh Laddi (Bathinda Rural), Ranjeet Kaur Bhatti (Budhlada) and Chaudhary Darshan Lal (Balachaur) after taking theminto the party fold in January.
The names of Chaudhary Darshan Lal and Harvinder Laddi appeared in Friday’s second list of the Congress while Bhatti’s name had appeared in the party’s first list along with Manpreet.
Despite all odds, Manpreet succeeded in getting the party ticket from Bathinda (urban) assembly segment. He got the ticket from this constituency despite the fact that Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Captain Amarinder Singh had openly supported the candidature of former finance minister Surinder Singla from here.
Captain Amarinder had announced to recommend Singla’s name as a candidate for this seat saying that in party surveys, Singla has topped as a choice among the voters.
Also, Manpreet Badal had to face the claim of former MLA Harminder Singh Jassi, who was also a ticket seeker from this seat, and was nurturing the segment. Jassi and his supporters haven’t yet joined the campaign of Manpreet due to resentment.
Manpreet‘s close confidant Harvinder Singh Laddi has been declared candidate from Bathinda (rural) assembly segment in the list announced on Friday. Laddi had contested 2012 assembly poll as a PPP candidate from the Bhucho segment and managed to secure 16,227 votes. Laddi is son of former MLA Jasmail Singh, who was close to Captain Amarinder Singh.
Former PPP leader Ranjit Kaur Bhatti has been fielded as a Congress candidate from Budhlada assembly segment in Mansa district. Bhatti had contested 2012 assembly polls on the PPP ticket from this seat and secured 29,385 votes.
Chaudhary Darshan Lal, who contested as a PPP candidate from Balachaur in 2012, securing 18,988 votes has been fielded as a Congress candidate from this segment.
Manpreet had contested the 2014 parliamentary poll from the Bathinda segment on the Congress symbol as a joint candidate of the Congress and the PPP. He lost to Union food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal by a narrow margin of about 19,000 votes. Though, he secured a lead of over 29,000 votes over Harsimrat in Bathinda (urban) assembly segment, part of the Bathinda parliamentary segment. He merged the PPP with the Congress in January.
Manpreet said that they have been given more than what they deserved, but said that he is not seeing this from the perspective of former PPP leaders having been given tickets as all are the Congress candidates.
